Route 1 Project - Weekly Update (8-26)

FALMOUTH ROUTE ONE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT

Construction Update #18, August 26, 2014

The following information reflects what you’re likely to see on Route One in Falmouth in the upcoming seven days. Please note that this is a projection based on the best available information at the time that it was sent and is subject to change due to weather and other variables.

 

WORK HOURS:

During daylight hours, crews from Shaw Brothers Construction and Cianbro will be seen working along the east side of Route One, installing the natural gas main.

 

For the remainder of this week (through Friday, August 29), primary construction work by Sargent Corp. and Moulison North will be conducted during overnight hours, from approximately 6:00 p.m. through approximately 6:00 a.m. The overnight work is expected to last for a total of three weeks.

 

Next week, crews will resume overnight operations on the evening of Monday, September 1, rather than Sunday evening, in observance of Labor Day.

 

The overnight work will, at various times, require flagger-controlled one-way traffic on Route One, Bucknam Road and Clearwater Drive. One-way traffic will typically start around 9:00 p.m.

 

 

GENERAL OVERVIEW:

We’re now into early stages of a three-week stretch of night work. Both Sargent Corporation (stormwater runoff, sidewalks, etc.) and Moulison North (duct bank/utilities installation) expect that this will be the last night work required during the current construction season.

 

Installation of the natural gas pipeline has begun, starting near the intersection of Route One and Bucknam Road and running south along the east side of Route One. The majority of this work is being done during daylight hours (several crossings of Route One are expected sometime next week). Two-way traffic is being maintained, although you may expect that the lane closest to the east side curb will often be reserved for construction equipment. Flaggers will direct traffic around this equipment.

 

Sargent Corporation and Moulison North have modified plans to install a duct bank spur on Depot Road. This spur will stretch east from Route One almost to Route 88, and plans originally called for installing it at night. Upon review, construction supervisors determined that overnight operations in that area would be disruptive to homeowners.

 

As a result, this work will now be conducted during daylight hours and is not likely to begin until sometime after the completion of night work (which is scheduled to end Friday, September 12).

 

Duct bank work on Fundy Road is almost complete, and now awaits tie-in to the overhead service that will remain.

 

With a few areas left open due to forthcoming utilities work, the west side sidewalks are now paved between Waldo’s and Clearwater Drive.

 

 

WORK CURRENTLY UNDERWAY:

 

As of Tuesday, August 26, work is occurring in various locations, including:

  • Installation of natural gas pipeline, from the north end of the project heading south. This work is occurring on the east side of Route One.
  • Stormwater runoff work in the vicinity of Route One and Bucknam Road.
  • Duct bank work and utilities structure installation in the vicinity of Route One and Clearwater Drive.

 

 

WORK YOU’RE LIKELY TO SEE IN THE UPCOMING SEVEN DAYS:

 

  • Continued installation of natural gas main (daytime). Flaggers will assist with entry and exit to and from businesses along the east side of Route One.
  • Drainage work involving two crossings of Route One in front of the Foreside Tavern (at the north end of the work zone). This work is likely to occur Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
  • Continued work involving drainage at the intersection of Route One and Bucknam Road.
  • Duct bank crossings of Clearwater Drive. This work is likely to occur Tuesday and Wednesday nights this week.
  • Installation of two utilities manhole structures (one electrical, one phone/data) at the Route One/Clearwater Drive intersection. This work is likely to occur Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
  • Beginning on the evening of Monday, September 1, Sargent Corporation and Moulison North crews will swap positions; Sargent will work on drainage tie-ins and other projects in the Route One/Clearwater Drive area; Moulison North will continue the primary duct bank installation across Bucknam Road to its terminus near Norway Savings Bank and the Foreside Tavern.
  • Crews will be working to prep road and driveway crossings for paving.
  • Paving work is scheduled to resume Tuesday of next week. Crews will concentrate on paving road and driveway crossings, starting with Fundy, Depot and Bucknam Road crossings in the early morning. Sidewalk paving is tentatively scheduled to resume in two weeks.

 

PHOTOGRAPHS: We’ve got lots to show you this week!

This view looks south from the front of Gorham Savings Bank, past the entrance to 202 Route One. We now have paved sidewalk from the south end of the project area almost to Clearwater Drive. Some openings remain to facilitate later utilities work.

Looking south across Bucknam Road from the front of Norway Savings Bank, the Irving convenience store is in the background. Major drainage work is underway on both sides of Bucknam Road, as well as some Bucknam Road crossing work.

Businesses are always looking for ways to control energy costs, and many along Route One are eagerly anticipating the arrival of natural gas along the corridor. Installation has started! Here’s the new natural gas main, in a trench near the north entrance to the Falmouth Shopping Plaza

In the old days, gas mains were typically welded metal pipe – and subject to corrosion and failure. Today’s mains are highly engineered (and enormously strong) plastic. In this view, we see one of two machines on site that weld the plastic pipe. The green object in lower left is a heating element, and center left is a clamping mechanism. The pipe ends are trued with the circular saw (top left); the two pipe ends are heated for about 15 minutes, then the heating element is removed and hydraulically driven clamps push the pipe ends together. After a careful cool-down period, the weld is stronger than the pipe itself.